The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-08-28
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.

SAN Francisco, Aug. 24.-People
returning to their city homes, after
spending their summer vacations
under the trees, excite the envy and
longing of their less fortunate ac-
auaiptances, who have been obliged
by the force of circumstances to pass
their holidays amid the stir and
hustle OF town life, only pulling
down their window blinds to impress
passers-by with the belief that there
is nobody behind them, by the fervor
of their descriptions of the ''booms'
that struck the sections of the coun-
try in which they have been enjoying
themselves, enriching everybody
around them without adding materi-
ally to to their own wealth. They
have brought much of the fever of
these booms back with them, and,
apparently from sheer force of SYM
pathy, there has been a sudden
awakening among real estate specu-
lators in what have been called "San
Francisco sleeping places" across the
bay, and great number of land and
house sales have been made. In Ala
media three new real estate offices
were opened on one day last week.
How soon they will be closed again
is matter that chiefly interests their
owners, who sold out their stores to
engage in the business of buying and
selling lots. San Francisco, however,
pursues pretty evenly the tenor of
her way. A novel and very desirable
boom, indeed, seems to have struck
the city; but it is boom of morality
only, does not affect the value OF
property. The police justices watch
it with amazement, not unmingled
with awe. They say that for two days
this week not a single offense more
henious than a simple "drunk" was
reported to the police. They are
afraid to predict the result OF a con-
tinuance of such a state OF affairs;
the entire police force may want to
go fishing.
There is boom, too, of a suicidal
tendency sweeping over US. Men
finding themselves unable to pay old
debts, or to contract new ones, are
evincing an extraordinary readiness
to settle the great debt of nature
even before it is due. Hotel land
lords complain that they are favored
far too frequently by the patronage
of guests in this frame of mind, and
the letter which the suicide generally
leaves on the bureau in his bedroom.
courteously apologizing for the
trouble lie has left behind him, and
requesting his host to notify the cor
oner, rather augments than lessons the
grievance. Two residents of San
Francisco chose last Sunday as fit
ting time for saying adieu to the
world. Patrick Dugan was unable to
obtain tenants for either of his two
dwellings on First street; so, like
Lieut.. Luff, His own execution he
put into his own house" He went
into one OF them, and blew his brains
out. 1t will, perhaps, be easier for
his widow to let the property now.
William A. Harding, at about the
same hour, went in search of two
drinks to be debited to his account
Singularly enough his mission was
successful, but his own spirits were
not raised by those in which the bar
tenders confidence in him was
shown. Perhaps he was despondent
at being unable to pay for his two
fortifiers; or it may be, he despaired
of getting third on the same terms.
At all events he went back to his
room, in a Sutter street hotel, ana
ended his life with a pistol.